Compassionate & Affordable Health Care for Your Pet
These guidelines are based on the recommendations and protocols set by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
In your puppy’s first year, they will be seen several times by our veterinarians. The reason for this is that several of the necessary vaccinations need to be given several times (i.e., boostered) in order for your puppy to build immunity to many of the common viruses that potentially can harm their health.
During these initial visits, we will cover general puppy/dog care such as nutrition, monthly parasite preventative care, nail care, etc.
Even though your new puppy has probably received multiple fecal parasite treatments, it is critical that we run at least one screening test for GI parasites while your puppy is new to your home. It is common knowledge that some GI parasites only “shed” occasionally, therefore, it is possible that GI parasites still exist in their little bodies, and we want to make sure they are eliminated.
Together we will discuss and determine the risks and exposure your puppy will have to certain preventable diseases. At MAH, we carefully select which vaccines will be best suited for your new puppy. Not all vaccines are necessary, and we will help you determine which are the best for your dog.
Distemper, Parvo, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza (DA2PP)- Commonly referred to as the Distemper Vaccine): According to the AVMA, puppies require 3 inoculations of DA2PP after the age of 8 to meet full requirements.
Rabies: All rabies vaccines in the first year of a dog’s life are considered 1 year vaccines. All rabies vaccines after this initial vaccination will be considered 3 yr. vaccines.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is not a virus and actually acts more like a bacteria. Known as a spirochete, this disease is transmitted from animal to animal through urine. If you have any kind of wild animals that pass through your back yard (i.e., opossum, raccoon, squirrels, woodchuck, deer, etc.), then protecting against Lepto would be wise. This is also considered a zoonotic disease, which means that it is possible for animals to pass it to humans.
Lyme
Considering that we will live in Connecticut and we have a tremendous amount of Lyme disease transmitted through exposure to ticks, we strongly recommend any dog who goes outside to get this vaccine.
Every year it is critical that we cover everything from dental health, heart health, weight management, joint health, and nutritional management. Why? Remember that your pet’s health is accelerated, even more than the progression of our health.
Considering that we live in one of the countries most tick-saturated places, it is highly recommended that we test annually for the major tick-borne disease. Currently, Lyme disease is the only tick-borne disease that we vaccinate for. Two other tick-borne diseases are also commonly found in our regions, which as Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. In addition, canine heartworm disease can be a deadly disease. Though we actively prevent against infections by using monthly heartworm prevention, there is still a slight possibility that your dog can contract this disease.
Dogs will be dogs. Their noses are often to the ground; they also occasionally pick up things off of the ground and eat them as well as lick their paws after going outside. Testing for common GI parasites is a must.
Monthly Flea & Tick prevention with either topical solutions such as Frontline or Advantix(R)….or even better the new oral prevention called NexGard(R)
*Large dogs over 50 lbs. are technically considered seniors by age 6. Once your dog crosses this threshold, they require slightly different medical considerations.
The importance of that annual physical exam becomes even more important as your dog ages.
We all can appreciate the concept of “An Ounce of Prevention Worth A Pound of Cure.” There is absolutely no better way of keeping track of your dog’s internal body health than by running routine annual bloodwork on your dog and routine urine screening. By evaluating these two body fluids, we can keep a close eye on your dog’s overall health and address any changes as they age.
Considering that we live in one of the countries most tick-saturated places, it is highly recommended that we test annually for the major tick-borne disease. Currently, Lyme disease is the only tick-borne disease that we vaccinate for. Two other tick-borne diseases are also commonly found in our regions, which as Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. In addition, canine heartworm disease can be a deadly disease. Though we actively prevent against infections by using monthly heartworm prevention, there is still a slight possibility that your dog can contract this disease.
Dogs will be dogs. Their noses are often to the ground; they also occasionally pick up things off of the ground and eat them as well as lick their paws after going outside. Testing for common GI parasites is a must. In this test, our lab is looking for the most common GI parasites (Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm, Giardia, Coccidia).
Monthly Flea & Tick prevention with either topical solutions such as Nexgard(R)
*Small dogs under 50 lbs. are technically considered seniors by age 9. Once your dog crosses this threshold, they require slightly different medical considerations.
We all can appreciate the concept of “An Ounce of Prevention Worth A Pound of Cure.” There is absolutely no better way of keeping track of your dog’s internal body health than by running routine annual bloodwork on your dog and routine urine screening. By evaluating these two body fluids, we can keep a close eye on your dog’s overall health and address any changes as they age.
Considering that we live in one of the countries most tick-saturated places, it is highly recommended that we test annually for the major tick-borne disease. Currently, Lyme disease is the only tick-borne disease that we vaccinate for. Two other tick-borne diseases are also commonly found in our regions, which as Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. In addition, canine heartworm disease can be a deadly disease. Though we actively prevent against infections by using monthly heartworm prevention, there is still a slight possibility that your dog can contract this disease.
Dogs will be dogs. Their noses are often to the ground; they also occasionally pick up things off of the ground and eat them as well as lick their paws after going outside. Testing for common GI parasites is a must. In this test, our lab is looking for the most common GI parasites (Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm, Giardia, Coccidia).
Monthly Flea & Tick prevention with either topical solutions such as Frontline or Advantix….or even better the new oral prevention called Nexgard(R)
